|
|
Gulf Central
District
MAY 2009 NEWSLETTER
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
BIRTHDAYS
1 - Valene Long
6 - Catherine Fluck Price
11 - Tim Ehrlich
21 - Tom McCloskey
23 - John Ekers
23 - Sylvia Lange
25 - Harvey Alequin
26 - Tamara Preston
28 - Marsha Oakley
28 - Neal Long
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
ANNIVERSARIES
1 - John &
Mary Ekers
1 - John & Sharon Powers
2 - Brandon & Patti Wise
7 - Jack & Sharon Stephenson
7 - Jim & Pam Rosenburg
11 - David & Lena Misener
15 - Charlie & Brandy Reeb
15 - Gary & Sherry Eldred
18 - Bob & Patti Martin
19 - Kelly & Mary Beth Smith
20 - Chris & Toni Schmidt
23 - Doug & RayaSue Hallman
25 - Dave & Susan Clouse
31 - David & Patricia Landers
|
~Our Sympathy~
To Carole
Rooks on the recent death of her mother
|
|
|
Greetings!
There are a variety of images in the Bible that describe
the wonder, the majesty, and the grace of God...from Spirit, to King,
to Creator, to Father. One of the most meaningful to me is the Biblical
image of God as Mother. My own mother and my wife, Sharon have embodied
many of the "mother" images of God and have helped me to more
richly understand the character of God. Perhaps because of my
love and admiration for Mom and Sharon I resonate more toward these images
of God than some of the others.
Sharon and Mom
often remind me of the Biblical image of God found in Luke of the
mother hen who looks after her brood or the nurturing, caring mother of
Isaiah 46:3-4 and 66:13. Yet they also resemble the God as mother eagle
image in Deuteronomy 32:11-12, where the eagle stirs the nest and
teaches the eaglets how to fly on their own. Good mothers learn to let
go and let their children fly on their own. As thankful as I am for the
care and nurture of my mother, I know how important and difficult her
letting go was. Birthing and weaning are also important images
found in the Psalms, which relate to this dual role of God who gives
life and thus cares deeply for the child and yet out of that deep
caring eventually weans the child.
Another
"God as mother" image I ran across, one which I have
definitely witnessed in Sharon and Mom, is God as an angry mother bear
who protects her cubs (Hosea 13:8). If you mess with their kids, you
had better look out. I always felt protected and secure as a child and
I know my children did too.
Nobody in their
right minds would want to mess with those mother bears.
And lastly, the
Old Testament personifies the wisdom of God as a woman. Like John
Wesley, who attributes his spiritual development to his mother's wise
counsel, I too can thank my mother and her mother (Grandma Griffin) for
their guiding wisdom.
For many of us,
God's love and guidance has, to some extent, been experienced and
understood through the examples of our mothers. Thank God for these
rich images of God's care and nurture.
I hope you have
a happy Mother's Day.
John R. Powers
District Superintendent
|
GULF CENTRAL DISRICT CLERGY TEAM
MEETING
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Pastors Save the Date! The Gulf Central District Clergy Team Meeting will be
held Thursday, May 7, 2009 from 10 am to 2 pm (includes lunch) at St
Paul UMC in Largo.
|
|
From The
Church Mouse:
Few things are more beautiful to God than seeing his
people serve and work together in a united rhythm. It's like a
symphony to His ears. That's how we were created to
function. God designed us to need each other. To reach our
communities, much less the world, we need every ministry doing its part
and every congregation excitedly doing church as a team.
|
|
|
ACCOUNTING, AUDIT & TAX ISSUES TRAINING ON MAY 16
The Florida
Conference office of Financial Services is offering a free training
event for people wanting to learn more about accounting, auditing, internal
controls and tax issues relating to local United Methodist churches.
The training will be held at the Florida Conference Center, 1140
McDonald Street in Lakeland, on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to noon,
with on-site check-in starting at 8:30 a.m.
The training
is designed for local church treasurers and financial secretaries and
will be lead by Mickey Wilson, Florida Conference treasurer, and Ron
Beyer, Florida Conference internal auditor. Participants will receive
instructions and insights into the auditing of United Methodist
churches and related entities. The training covers: reviewing internal
controls, reviewing financial statements and related transactions,
special controls for unusual programs and asset recognition issues for
United Methodist churches as required by the Book of Discipline and the
Florida Annual Conference.
Major topics
to be covered include: GAAP and the Book of Discipline; the audit
process; interim financial reporting; internal controls and fraud:
budgeting; clergy payroll and taxes; and tax issues of employees vs.
independent contracts in the church.
To register,
contact Kitt Elliott at 800-282-8011, Ext. 196.
|
|
 INTENTIONAL
DISCIPLESHIP WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED FOR MAY & SEPTEMBER 2009
Continuing to spotlight disciple-making practices of fruitful
congregations
As part of our continuing spotlight on the five disciple-making
practices of fruitful congregations, the Florida Conference will be
focusing on "Intentional Discipleship" by offering two series
of two, one-day workshops. These workshops will help local church
leaders go deeper in their understanding of fulfilling the Great
Commission of Matthew 28: "Go and make disciples . . . and teach
them to obey all that I have commanded you."
The first series "The Simple
Church Workshop" will be held:
May 15 at
Grace United Methodist Church, Gainesville
May 16 at
First Boca Raton (East Campus)
The Simple Church will look at what it means to be a "simple
church," strategically focused on making disciples. "Simple
Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples" is the
name of book written by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger that calls for
congregational leaders to return to the simple Gospel-sharing methods
of Jesus. In our frantic and complex culture where congregations are no
longer the center of community life, no bells or whistles are required,
so to speak. Based on case studies of 400 American churches, Rainer and
Geiger show that the process for making disciples has often become too
complex or even lost among all the religious activities that pack many
congregations' busy calendars. During the workshop, led by
Geiger, participants will hear how "simple churches" who
focus on their intentional discipling process are thriving, while many
congregations with hectic calendars are not. Geiger will help
congregational leaders begin to look at their own church calendars in
light of Christ' s call for us to "make disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of the world."
The second series, "Deepening
Your Effectiveness," will be held:
Sept.
11, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm @ First UMC in Port Orange
Sept.
12, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm @ First UMC in Punta Gorda
"Deepening Your Effectiveness: Restructuring the Local Church for
Life Transformation" is the title of a book written by Dan Glover
and Claudia Lavy, who will lead these workshops. Their premise is that
becoming a Christian disciple is supposed to be life-altering; a
process of maturation and transformation. The church, they say, is to
intentionally support that development - both individually and
corporately. Sometimes, though, pitfalls and barriers in life and even
within the church itself can damage committed but unequipped followers.
Proposing a "deep-sea change" from the typical church plan,
Glover and Lavy offer experienced coaching in how to systematize
disciple-making in a congregation. (Visit their Web site at (www.deepeningyoureffectiveness.com)
|
|
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2009 LAY &
CLERGY MEMBERS
First Mailing Information
The first mailing regarding Annual
Conference was sent mid-March via US Mail Service as follows:
Clergy - to the church address
Retired Clergy - to their home address
Local Church Lay Members - to the Church Address
District Lay Members at Large - to their home address
We encourage you to insure that the Lay Members to AC receive their
packet (you might even have to put it in an envelope and send to the
Lay Member's home address).
Also, please note.... all further reminders and communication from the
District Office will only be sent via email. If your lay member to
Annual Conference does not have an email address, we are counting on
the pastor or office staff to get the information to your lay member.
All information in the first mailing can be accessed online at www.flumc.org
by clicking on the Annual Conference 2009 link at the right side of the
home page.
If there is a change in the local church lay member, the local church
should notify the District Office immediately so that the new lay
member information can be updated in the Conference database. Send
updates to: Maggie Corrigan at flumc-gc@flumc.org Thank you.
|
AC2009 GULF CENTRAL DISTRICT
PRE-CONFERENCE ORIENTATION
Sunday, May 17 @ East Lake UMC, Palm
Harbor, 3:00 pm
Lay and Clergy Members of the 2009 Annual Conference are encouraged to
attend the Gulf Central District Pre-Conference Orientation. New this
year, Annual Conference Workbooks will be mailed to the local church
and should arrive the first week of May. Please bring your workbook
with you to the orientation.
 A quick review of key topics for Annual Conference 2009
will be covered at the orientation. Review and Discussion of the
Proposed Constitutional Amendments from the 2008 General Conference
will be a key agenda topic at the Orientation. Annual Conference Lay and
Clergy Members are encouraged to visit the Florida Conference website
and click on the Constitutional Amendment link prior to attending the
Pre-Conference Orientation.
|
 AC2009 EVENT
OPPORTUNITIES
Clergywomen's Luncheon
Thursday, June 11th from 12-1:30 pm
$15/per person online reservation required [click here]
Bethune Cookman University President's Dining Room
Lay Speaking
Dinner
Thursday, June 11th from 5:00- 6:30 pm, Everyone welcome
$12.50/person advanced reservations required.
First UMC, Ormond Beach, 336 S. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach, FL
Ministers'
Spouse Tea & Tunes
Friday, June 12th from 3:00-4:30 pm
Bethune Cookman University, Performing Arts Center dining room, 2nd
floor
Music provided by Bethune Cookman University Chamber Singers & Instrumentalists.
E-mail music requests to Sharon Powers monofsu@aol.com.
|
 ANNUAL
CONFERENCE MISSION OFFERING FOR ANGOLA
Pastors should have received a letter
from Bishop Whitaker last week outlining his goal for every United
Methodist Congregation. Please take a moment this week to plan with
your ministry team how your Church can reach the Bishop's Goal of $1
per member for Angola [Read Letter]
|
2009 Golf Tournament - Wed., June
10
If you are attending the Florida
Annual Conference, at Bethune Cookman University head to Daytona a day
early and join us!
WHERE: PelicanBay Country Club,
Daytona Beach
TIME: 8:00 am check-in; 8:30 am shotgun start
COST: $85 each, includes a t-shirt and lunch
REGISTER ON-LINE AFTER FEBRUARY 1
FOR SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE
Celebrate Jesus, Inc., PO Box 3386, Orlando, FL32802-3386, USA
A registered 501(c)3 Organization, Tel : (407) 893-7305 Fax : (407)
893-7307 celebrate.jesus@CJMission.org.
|
|
Conference offers a place on their website for churches to post seeds
and needs. They call it "Classifieds" and it's located
on the left side of the home page. This is a place where you can
list all the extra items or things that you just aren't using anymore
(choir robes, hymnals, and Sunday School curriculums, just to name a
few). You can also post open staff positions or view people
looking for employment within the church. You never know what
you'll find!
|
|
INSURANCE INVOICING EACH MONTH
Don't forget to go to flumc.org for your invoicing
on health insurance, pension, workman's compensation and
property/casualty every month. Look on the right side of the site
for the box that says, "Billing Info for:"
|
REQUIRED NATIONAL SAFETY POSERS
From time to time your church office is contacted by companies
interested in providing (with a fee) the required posters for the
Federal and State Government in the workplace.
You can go to the website: http://www.dol.gov/osbp/sbrefa/poster/matrix.htm to print out the needed posters
(free). They are the following: Federal Minimum Wage, Job
Safety and Health, FLSA, USERRA, and the FL Minimum Wage.
For the Worker's Compensation poster, contact our third party
administrator for FLUMC at 877-590-6693.
|
|
 NOW THAT YOU
HAVE SELECTED
Every congregation was asked to select a person to help complete the
Missional Vital Signs report indicating how they are living into the
five practices of the United Methodist Way of discipling. This person
receives
an email each month with a link to a form on which they can report data
for each of the five practices for each week during the previous
month. Data is collected weekly and reported monthly.
Beginning in
February, Missional Vital Sign Reporters were asked to report the
previous month's information on weekly worship attendance, the total
number of persons received into membership on profession of faith and
reaffirmation of faith weekly, and the weekly offering total for giving
to budget, capital and missional concerns. However, some of the
Reporters have not yet entered your information.
Pastors,
please contact your Reporter, making sure that they have begun their
reporting for the church. If they need assistance to get started,
please have them contact the District. By July 1, congregations
will be asked to begin reporting data for Intentional Discipling and
Salty Service. For complete information, go to the Missional
Vital Signs website by clicking on the MVS logo on either www.flumc.org or www.congregationaltransformation.com.
The purpose of
the Missional Vital Signs is to help congregations stay focused on the
five practices of fruitful congregations and to track an indication of
their effectiveness for each of these practices.
|
|
Giving Up to
Our Potential by Ann A.
Michel
The
oft-repeated claim that churchgoers are the most generous of Americans
was always a reassurance to me as I labored in the vineyard of
stewardship ministry-and a source of pride, as well. Unfortunately,
however, it turns out this claim is not entirely true. There are other
religious givers who are far more charitable than Christians. And even
though Christians are more generous than non-religious Americans, that
is not much to brag about. The vast majority of Christians are not
giving up to their potential or in proportion to what their faith
teaches.
Passing the Plate (Oxford University Press, 2008), the most recent work
by sociologists Christian Smith and Michael Emerson and researcher
Patricia Snell, reveals some unfortunate truths about the giving
patterns of American Christians. Twenty percent give nothing to church
or other charities. The vast majority give very little. Congregations
manage to stay afloat only because of the generosity of a very small
percentage who account for about sixty percent of total giving-and
because churches spend the lion's share of what is given on their
internal needs. Moreover, more affluent church members generally give a
lesser percentage of income than those of more modest means. The book
attempts to provide a sociological explanation for why American
Christians are so stingy, despite massive gains in real per capita
income over the past century. [Read More]
Twelve
Specific Things Church Leaders Can Do Now to Increase Giving
By Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
- Immediately make sure
your personal giving is what it should be.
- Immediately say
"thank you" and find ways to do so regularly all year.
- Tell people regularly
what was accomplished through their giving.
- Immediately do
something concrete to assist those in economic distress.
- Ask lay
professionals to conduct workshops on budgeting and personal
finances. [Read More]
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers.
Leaders must have the right questions.
Taking a moment to ask this question before meetings, conversations,
visits, and events can guide what you do and say.
What do we hope to accomplish?
|
CELEBRATION: WALK TO JERUSALEM REPORT
Sunday, April 19th WALK TO JERUSALEM
CONGRATULATIONS to all the
participants in this historic walk. I would never have guessed we
would have been so successful. It has been a joy to watch as our
numbers grew beyond expectation. A special thanks to all
the TEAM LEADERS who faithfully reported their miles and motivated
their teams.
- Our original goal was to walk 6700 miles by
Easter, which is the approximate distance from Hudson to
Jerusalem.
- Our total 10th week reported miles for the walk
were 46,336 miles and that is farther than a walk around the
equator which is approximately 24,902 miles.
- We have had well over 400 walkers participating
in our walk. Our youngest was 5 years old and the eldest 92
years old.
- There were 33 teams involved from several area
churches, communities and businesses. [READ MORE]
|
|
District
|
May 3: Announcement Sunday
May 7:
Clergy Team Meeting, 10am-2pm, St. Paul UMC, Largo
May 17:
Clergy and Laity Members to Annual Conference Orientation, 3p, East
Lake UMC, Palm Harbor
May 22:
Cabinet Appointment Session #3
May 25:
Conference & District Offices closed for Memorial Day
Jun 7: Donna Ratzlaff Retirement 2-4p, Anona UMC
Jun 10:
Pre-Annual Conference Events, Bethune Cookman University, Daytona Beach
Jun 11-13:
Annual Conference, Bethune Cookman Univ., Daytona Beach
Jun 30:
Moving Day
Jul 3: Conference & District Offices closed in lieu of
Independence Day
Aug 6-7: Leadership Summit, Van Dyke UMC
Sep 7:
Conference & District Offices Closed for Labor Day
Sep 14-18:
Cabinet
Oct 14-15: Cabinet
Oct 24:
District United Methodist Women Annual Meeting
**October is Clergy Appreciation Month
Nov 10-11:
Cabinet
Nov 12-13:
Clergy Retreat
Nov 26-27:
District & Conference offices closed for Thanksgiving
Dec 8-10: Cabinet
Dec 24-Jan 4:
District & Conference offices closed for Christmas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
